TajHub

A Taj Mahal Travel Guide

Where is Taj Mahal Located?
Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra in North India at a distance of around 204 km from Delhi. Agra is a major tourist destination of India that houses apart from Taj Mahal, tourist attractions such as Agra Fort, Sikandra, and Itmad-ud Daulah Tomb. Agra was the capital of Mughal Empire for a long time and its strategic location always made it an important town in North India. Today Agra is a World Heritage City with the number of great monuments that it possesses.

Who Built Taj Mahal?
Shahjahan (1592-1666), the great Mughal Emperor was the man behind Taj Mahal. He was a great builder who not only built Taj Mahal but some other great buildings also such as Red Fort and Jama Masjid of Delhi and made many modifications in the Agra Fort. Shahjahan ascended to the Mughal throne in 1627 and remained seated till 1657 when he became ill. After a bloody coup in which all the sons of Shahjahan fought against each other, Aurangzeb one of his sons became the emperor. He put Shahjahan in prison at Agra Fort where he died in 1666 watching his most magnificent creation.

Who was the Inspiration behind Taj Mahal?
Mumtaz Mahal or Arjumand Banu was the woman in whose memory the Taj Mahal was built. It is difficult to find any monument as grand and beautiful built in the history of human civilization dedicated to love. Arjumand Banu was daughter of Asaf Khan and when she married Shahjahan at the age of 14 years, imperial city of Agra was already agog with the stories of her beauty. She was third wife of Prince Khurram or Shahjahan and the principle one throughout their life. She became Mumtaz Mahal in 1612 after her marriage and remained an inseparable companion of Shahjahan till her death. As a symbol of her faith and love she bore Shahjahan 14 children and died during the birth of last child. For the love and affection she showed to her husband, Mumtaz Mahal received highest honor of the land – the royal seal – Mehr Uzaz from Shahjahan, the emperor.

How can I reach Agra – The City of Taj?
Agra is well connected to other cities in India by rail, road, and air. There are regular flights and trains from other cities of India especially Delhi its closest metropolis and an International gateway. There are numerous trains from Delhi that connects Agra with a total journey time of three hours. Tajhub.com will arrange for you AC or Non AC coaches and cars for your tour to the city of Taj with helpful guides.

Do you have travel packages for Taj Mahal and places around?
Taj is in the center of our travel plans and we have the best packages made by the highly experienced and enlightened travel professionals. These tour packages starts from a minimum of one day trip to Agra from Delhi to week and fortnight long packages all having Taj in the center of their existence.
Tour Packages for Taj Mahal…

What are the other tourist attractions in Agra – the city of Taj?This is a list of major tourist attractions in Agra •Tomb of Itmad-ul-Daulah
•Agra Fort (also known as Red Fort of Agra)
•Jahangir Palace
•Diwan-I-Aam
•Diwan-I-Khas
•Moti Masjid
•Jami Masjid
•Dayalbagh Temple

What are the major tourist destinations around Agra?
Agra is a tourist hub from where a tourist can venture into many directions. Some of the major tourist destinations that can be visited from Agra are •Fatehpur Sikri – 40 km
•Sikandara – 4 km
•Mathura – 47 km
•Vrindavan – 57 km
•Bharatpur Birds Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) – 55 km
•Gwalior – 118 km
•Delhi
•Jaipur

Who was the main architect of Taj Mahal?
There is a lot of controversy regarding the architect of Taj Mahal and what happened to him after the completion of Taj Mahal. According to some European writers, an Italian by the name of Geronimo Veroneo was the chief architect of Taj Mahal. But there is not much support for this theory in India. There is still a controversy regarding the main architect of Taj and no one is agreeing on a single name, though Isa Khan is the name most agreeable. But in the records of Mughal Empire show as many as 37 architects to be credited with the involvement in architecture of Taj Mahal. Perhaps, we would never know who was the main architect of Taj Mahal but whoever he was such great builder.

What is the best time to visit Agra?
Summers, from April to June and monsoon from July to August are the seasons better not to be touched. The best time to visit Agra is winter (mid September to March). The weather remains pleasant during this period. Remember to carry some warm clothes while coming to North Indian plains during the winter season.

Are there any specific festivals related to Taj?
Taj Mahotsava or the Festival of Taj is the best time for the travelers to visit Taj Mahal. Folk artists from all over the country gather here during this period to perform in front of avid spectators. The festival is celebrated every year in the month of February and that makes it great combination of watching Indian classical and folk performances in a pleasant climate.